"Vacation" Loads

Last night I was reading a thread about a guy's experience with the Schneider Choice program. He mentioned in one post about a load going to MT that didn't pay the best but he thought a little about taking it because he's never been there. So that got me thinking.......

How many of you will take a load to go someplace you've never been or to just get out of your normal area for a week?

Personally I do it once or twice a year. Last summer my vacation trip was taking 2 days to run empty to NV to load off a ranch that my friend said was a must see. We went 56 miles north of Elko on the two lane then had 26 miles of gravel off to the northeast. I've never seen such a beautiful place before or since then. Not what I was expecting to pop out of the middle of a bunch of sage brush. This year a local buyer bought a bunch of cattle in Florida. He told me what he can get them moved for so I put pencil to paper. If I bounce down and have a nice couple days getting there after my expenses I'll put about 45 cpm in my pocket. Not the best, but I committed to one load because I've never been to FL before. As long as I'm not paying to haul it I'm usually up for it.

My thinking is at the end of the year when it's all thrown together if you load up the wife and take 3 or 4 days for a load that's not costing you money then it won't hurt your bottom line too much. My brother won't do it, and he complains that he's been doing the same thing since '97. I think I have him talked into going to Elko with me this year though. Lol.

 

I know it won't be a lot of fun down there but I have to go when the cattle are moving. If I had my choice I'd go when it's cold and snowing at home.

 

I wouldn't be able to go to the places I've been and load where I've loaded if I rented a car. Plus my significant other likes going in the truck but doesn't get the chance much for the simple fact it's hard for me to plan what I'm doing unless I know of a load a few weeks in advance.

 

This was going into the ranch north of Elko last year.